Presidential candidate and current Education Officer Zöe Cummins has been disqualified from the Trinity College Dublin Students’ Union (TCDSU) sabbatical elections following a ruling of the Electoral Commission (EC) found that section 4.7 of Schedule 3 had been breached.
Schedule 3 is the document that outlines the regulations for sabbatical elections, produced by the EC each year.
Section 4.7 deals with candidate conduct. It states that “Verbal, physical, online or other forms of attack or intimidation used against other candidates, members of the Electoral Commission or any student or staff member will be considered a serious offence by the Electoral Commission” and will “result in a candidate’s name being immediately struck off the ballot”.
In an email statement to The University Times, the EC stated: “The Electoral Commission has disqualified Zöe Cummins from the TCDSU Presidential Election in accordance with section 4.7 of Schedule 3 of the SU Constitution”.
“Due to the highly sensitive nature of this matter and out of respect for the privacy of those involved, the Electoral Commission will not be providing further comment”, they added.
They also stated that the EC “reminds candidates, their campaign teams, and students that the dignity and respect of all members of the college community is of the utmost importance and must be upheld throughout the election period” and added that any questions “should be directed to [email protected] or [email protected]”.
The Chair of the Oversight Commission (OC) has stated that an OC investigation is ongoing but could neither confirm nor deny the subject and scope of the investigation.
Cummins has confirmed that she intends to issue an appeal tonight. She has been contacted for additional comment along with her campaign manager Seán Lysaght.
Campaigning for the sabbatical elections began yesterday and will continue until March 2nd, with voting taking place between February 28th and March 2nd. Results will be announced on March 2nd.
This article was updated on February 21st at 18:12 to include a statement from Cummins confirming her intention to appeal.
